04.04.24

LLCC Solar Eclipse Watch Party happening Monday

image of total solar eclipseA total solar eclipse will be visible from southern Illinois on Monday, April 8. While the eclipse will still be visible from the Springfield area, it will not quite be total. LLCC is providing an opportunity for those not making the journey to southern Illinois to still experience the total solar eclipse through the college’s Facebook page and activities on the LLCC-Springfield campus during the Solar Eclipse Watch Party from 12:30-3:30 p.m.

Samantha Reif, LLCC professor of geology, will be in southern Illinois and going live on Facebook every half hour starting at 12:30 p.m. to show what the sun and surrounding environment look like, provide information on the astronomical event and answer questions from viewers.

“Illinois is set for a rare, twice-in-a-lifetime event — back-to-back total solar eclipses crossing on the exact same spot. Carbondale played host in 2017 and will do so once again on April 8 of this year,” says Reif. “We’ll be using technology to enable students, faculty, staff and community to still have an opportunity to experience what a total eclipse is like.”

Those who follow LLCC’s Facebook page will receive notifications when live video feeds are taking place. The video will be available on the LLCC Facebook page afterward as well.

Reif’s live-streamed videos will be shown on a screen in A. Lincoln Commons on campus. The LLCC Library will be handing out solar eclipse glasses during the event while supplies last. Other activities include exhibits from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Illinois State Museum; music from DJ Yinka; and space-themed snacks. The Logger Activities Board will help event participants to also make pinhole viewers to safely view the eclipse event.

“It’s important to keep safety in mind when viewing the eclipse,” explains Reif. “Eclipse glasses can be used, or welding glass #12 or 13 can be used to directly see the eclipse. Sunglasses provide no protection.”

Reif says indirect viewing is safe and easy. “A pinhole viewer can be made by poking a hole through a piece of cardboard, stiff paper or even a paper plate. Turn your back to the sun, hold your viewer in front of you so the sun shines on it and project the shadow onto the sidewalk. The hole will project a perfect, clear image of the sun and the moon passing in front of it.”

LLCC’s Facebook page can be found at facebook.com/LincolnLandCommunityCollege. Reif also has more information about solar eclipses available on youtube.com/@llccedu.

04.03.24

Who Will Receive the 2024 Distinguished Service Award?

Nominations Begin Today!

The Distinguished Service Award recognizes more than the “employee of the year.” This award is given to LLCC employees who demonstrate exemplary leadership and service to the college community, promote a student-focused environment and exhibit a strong commitment to the college’s core values. Service is a matter of the job. Leadership can be provided in subtle ways. This award recognizes those who provide service and leadership beyond the minimum. Nominations should clearly describe what qualities exhibited by the nominee through his/her performance, attitude, behavior and action puts them in the elite class of “Distinguished Service Award Recipient.”

Recipients of the Distinguished Service Award will be selected from the nomination pool. If no one is nominated in a particular category, no award will be given. The Committee does not widen the pool beyond those nominations received, so your nomination is important! The selection committee is comprised of past recipients of the award and other members of the college community. All employment classifications are represented.

To make a nomination, please submit the nomination form along with an essay about the nominee. The essay can be as long or short as you want it to be so long as concrete examples are provided of the areas identified in the nomination form. The information provided in the essay will be the basis of the evaluation for the selection committee.

The deadline for nominations to be submitted is Friday, April 19, 2024. For more information, please feel free to contact Kaelyn Bormida at 786-2214 or kaelyn.bormida@llcc.edu.

04.03.24

Library Open House set for April 10

Librarians from the LLCC library stand side by side for a photo in the LLCC Library.
LLCC employees! Save the date for the LLCC Library Open House, Wednesday, April 10 from 1-3 p.m. Come chat with the library team and learn about some of the ways we’re here for LLCC students, and you! Enjoy cookies, drinks and register for a prize drawing. Departmental open houses are a collaborative learning opportunity for all LLCC employees.

04.03.24

Plan to attend the STUDENT RECOGNITION CEREMONY 2024

Each year the college takes an evening to recognize the valuable contributions of our students during the LLCC Student Recognition Ceremony. Academic and leadership awards will be given, in addition to special awards. Please save the date to celebrate together! The 2024 ceremony will be held on Wednesday, May 8 at 6 p.m. If you have any questions, please email studentlife@llcc.edu.

04.03.24

Next Data Byte Conversation is April 11

Join the Data Governance Council (DGC) for the third Data Byte conversation of the spring semester. In celebration of national library week, this month’s focus will be our library’s resources and usage. Join us on Thursday, April 11, in Millennium 2237 at 11:10 a.m. for this conversation.

Programming note: The Data Byte conversation series is sponsored by LLCC’s Data Governance Council. The remaining Spring date is May 14. Feel free to bring your lunch. Or maybe you’ll be the lucky attendee who wins a Quiznos lunch!

04.03.24

College Now Orientation for 2024-2025 starts next week

Orange rectangle with the LLCC College Now logo on the right side.LLCC is hosting orientation sessions in April for Springfield-area high school students planning to participate in College Now during the 2024-2025 academic year. Students and their parents/guardians are invited to attend a session on Monday, April 8, 6:30 p.m., Saturday, April 13, 10 a.m. or Monday, April 15, 6:30 p.m. in Menard Hall, Room 2202 on the main campus in Springfield.

College Now allows students, who are least 16 years old and in good academic standing, from high schools that are partnering with LLCC to earn college credit by taking morning or afternoon classes at the college during their normal school day.

LLCC currently has partnerships with the following high schools in the Springfield area: Auburn, Calvary Academy, Glenwood, Greenview, Lanphier, Lutheran, New Berlin, Pawnee, Pleasant Plains, Riverton, Rochester, Sacred Heart Griffin, Springfield, Southeast and Williamsville.

At the orientation session, participants will receive registration assistance, learn about success coaching, meet with faculty and discover the supports and resources available to them as LLCC students.

Registration and more information are available at www.llcc.edu/college-now or by calling 217-786-2582.

04.03.24

Co-Create and Collaborate webinar on April 4

This NISOD session explores the benefits of an open approach that empowers students as partners in the learning process. When students help shape course assignments and activities, they take greater ownership over their education. Discover ways to collaborate with students to design more authentic assessments, incorporate real-world projects, tap into their passions and skills, and explore the transformative impact of student partnership on engagement and learning outcomes. Learn tips for guiding students through the process of co-creation, handling challenges that arise, and assessing open pedagogy initiatives.
You will need to have a NISOD account to register for the NISOD webinar. If you do not have a NISOD account, you may create one here using your LLCC email address. This webinar is free for LLCC faculty.

Thursday, April 4 from 1-2 p.m.

04.03.24

In the News

Prepping for gardening season takes some planning. If you don’t have the time for a full garden this summer, Sheridan Lane, LLCC director of culinary program and operations suggests focusing on flavor bases in this week’s Epicuriosity 101 column in the Springfield State Journal-Register.

Ron Riggle, athletic director and head baseball coach, and members of the Loggers baseball team were interviewed by WICS yesterday about their season.

04.03.24

Kat Winchester named Student Worker of the Month for February

Kat WinchesterCongratulations to Kat Winchester, the LLCC Center for Academic Success’ February student worker of the month. Kat has worked as a peer tutor and information desk student worker since June 2023. She provides essential tutoring to LLCC students in a variety of courses, including computer science, philosophy and English. She has also served the intro to logic course as an embedded tutor for three semesters and is currently working on a research and writing project related to that experience with her supervisor, Tiffany Elliott, and the course professor, Tim McKenzie. Kat’s enthusiasm for and dedication to helping fellow students is evident in her willingness to go above and beyond expectations to ensure LLCC students get the support they need to reach their goals.